Dispensing apparatus for ebullient liquids



July 27, 1965 w. B. KOCHNER 3,

DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR EBULLIENT LIQUIDS Original Filed Sept. 28, 1959 m8 #3 i M12 United States Patent 3,197,144 DIEEPENSING APPARATUS FOR EBULLIENI LIQUIDS William B. Kirchner, deceased, late of St. Louis, M0 by Regina L. Kochner, administratrix, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Knapp Monarch Company, a corporation of Delaware Original application Sept. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 842,730. Divided and this application Oct. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 316,491

Claims. (Cl. 239398) This application is a division of copending application Serial No. 842,730, now abandoned filed September 28, 1959.

The present invention relates generally to a dispensing device, and more particularly to an improved valved dispenser head for pressurizing and regulating eduction flow from a liquid container of the type disclosed in R. S. Knapp et al. Patent No. 2,842,293, having a common assignee herewith.

The sale of beer and similar ebullient liquids in relatively large containers, particularly gallon size for home use necessitates the provision of a simple, ellicient and reliable dispensing means for providing a constant pressure on the beer within the container and for regulating eduction flow therefrom. It is desirable to provide dispensing means of this type wherein carbon dioxide pressurization by means of a Sp arlclet bulb may be employed. Several difficult problems arise, however, in attempting to adapt Sparklet bulb pressurization to the dispensing of readily foamable, ebullient liquids. Although pressure regulating means have been known for maintaining a relatively constant, predetermined supply pressure from a Sparklet bulb, such as in Lamb Patent No. 2,649,661, the sudden high pressure surge which characterizes the initial gas supply as the Sparklet bulb is pierced has resulted in a highly undesirable pressure over-run and has caused excessive foaming when such ebullient liquids as beer are dispensed. In order to maintain a constant pressure on the liquid in an efiicient manner throughout the dispensing life of the container, it is necessary to prevent liquid from working its way up into the pressure regulating structure of the pressurizing means. It is also of importance to control the amount of foaming of beer and the like as a result of agitation and mixing during flow through the discharge valve means. Still further, it is important to eliminate pockets in the pressurizing and dispensing structures in which beer might be captured and become sour during storage.

It is a primary object of this invention, therefore, to provide a dispensing device of the type described having novel pressure regulator means for controlling initial pressure over-run for providing a constant dispensing pressure, and for preventing liquid back-up.

It is another object to provide a dispensing device of the type described having a self-closing, manually-actuated push button type of valve for regulating dispensing flow through a spigot without excessive foaming.

It is a further object to provide a dispensing device of the type described having a novel eduction tube for effecting a spiral flow pattern to reduce discharge pressure and facilitate the control of foaming.

It is still another object to provide a dispensing device of the type described having a novel arrangement and orientation of parts to effectively preclude liquid collection in stagnant pockets and thereby avoid the risk of souring during storage.

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of our dispensing apparatus whereby the objects contemplated are obtained as hereinafter more ice fully set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view showing a container having a pressurizing and dispensing device constructed in accordance with the present invention operatively mounted therewith;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1, with parts broken away and in section to show details of internal construction;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line 3--3 on FIGURE 2; and

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are vertical cross-sectional views taken substantially as indicated by the lines 4--4, 5-5, and 66 on FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawing, I have shown a container ll) of the type used for storing liquids and capable of being internally pressurized. The container 10 is formed with a generally cylindrical side wall 12, and a bottom wall serving to support the container in a generally upright position when disposed on a supporting surface. The bottom wall is centrally upwardly dished at 14 in a spherically curved manner, and is annularly upwardly conical at 16, outwardly of the central convexity 14, to increase the strength of the container, to improve upright support stability, and to facilitate substantially complete fluid withdrawal.

The container 10 provides a top wall centrally downwardly dished at 18, and annularly downwardly conical at 2i outwardly thereof, in a substantially complementary manner to the bottom wall for increased pressurized strength. A centrally disposed neck 22, terminating in an outwardly rolled bead or curl 24, extends upwardly from the top wall portion 18. The neck opening permits the attachment of a closure cap, of the crown type for example, so that the container may be filled with draft beer or a carbonated beverage at a brewery or bottler, and thereafter capped for storage and subsequent distribution. The cap may then be removed by the consumer at some convenient time of use, and a dispenser assembly providing pressurizing means and valve-regulated spigot means attached by insertion into the exposed neck opening. In this way, a single dispenser assembly may be interchanged} and repeatedly used with numerous containers, and] the containers may be distributed and sold independently of the dispenser assembly, thereby eliminating the high cost and fragile handling requirements which arise in container arrangements having an integrally attached dispenser means.

A dispenser assembly indicated generally at 30, is provided and comprises a main body or head 32 which provides attachment means at its lower end for releasably securing the assembly in fixed relation within the neck of the container. A plurality of latch elements 34 are pivotally secured to the body 32'and cooperate with the outwardly rolled bead or curl 24 to secure the dispenser assembly to the container neck 22. The lower end of the body 24 provides a reduced diameter portion 35 adapted to be slidingly received within the open neck of the container. For attachment of the dispenser assembly 39 to the container It), it is merely necessary to push the reduced portion 35 downwardly into the open neck of the container until the latch elements 34 snap overthe neck curl 24. Reference may be made to said R. S. Knapp et al. Patent No. 2,842,293 for a detailed description of the releasable attachment means.

The gas pressurizing means comprises a carbon dioxide bulb 40, as for example, a Sparklet bulb, manufactured by the Knapp-Monarch Company, which is mounted by means of a bulb holder 42 within a threaded bore 44. The bulb 40 may be moved forwardly into the main body 32 by manually rotating the bulb holder 42. A retainer plug 46 cooperatingly receives the neck of the bulb 4t), and an O-ring 48 is provided for eflecting a gas-tight seal. After sealing engagement of the bulb neck, continued forward movement of the bulb by manual screwing of the holder 42 will serve to effect a piercing of the forward end of the bulb by a piercing pin 56' supported within the plug 46. The piercing pin 50 provides a suitable gas flow passage therethrough, which communicates outwardly with the bulb interior and terminates inwardly at a valve seat 52 formed by the plug 46. In this way, the bulb 40' will first be sealed off and then pierced to effect delivery of the compressed gas therein to the valve seat 52.

A hollow and generally tubular regulator body 54 is defined by the main body 32, and the plug 46 provides a collar 56 which extends into the interior of the body 54. A piston 58 is slidably reciprocable within the body 54 and an annular O-ring 60 provides a gas-tight pressure seal with the inner wall thereof. A stem 62 of the piston 58 is slidably supported'within the plug collar 56. An O-ring 64 provides a seal between the stem 62 and the inner wall of the collar 56. A valve seal disc 66 is carried at the free end of the stem 62 and cooperates with the valve seat 52 to effect closure of the gas supply conduit of the piercing pin 50. A biasing spring 68 urges the piston 58 forwardly toward a valve-open position.

An end plate 70 provides a removable closure for the body .54, and cooperates with the free or forward end wall of the piston 58 to define a pressure regulator outlet chamber 54a. A damping spring '72 is seated between the end plate 79 and the piston 58, and exerts a force against the piston 58 urging it toward its valveclosed position. The force-exerting strength of the damping spring 72 is substantially greater than that of the biasing spring 63 and the valve members 52 and 66 are in normally closed relation. An adjustable stop memher 74 is threadedly received within the end plate 70 and provides a free end portion which abuts against the piston58. A cross-bore 76 is formed in the piston stem 62, and communicates with a longitudinal bore 78 for gas by-pass flow extending through the piston 58 to its A longitudinal bore 96 and intersecting cross bore 92 are formed in the screw 83. A resilient sleeve 94 normally tightly surrounds the outer end of the screw 88. Pressure gas flow from the duct 84 and through the bores 90 and 92 will escape between the outside wall surface of the screw 38 and the inner wall surface of the sleeve 94. The resilient strength of the sleeve 94 is selected so as to permit it to expand under pressure and provide an opening for the gas to pass into the container 19. When an equilibrium pressure is reached on both sides of the check valve screw 88, the sleeve 94 will again tightly engage about the screw 88 to prevent further gas flow.

it is particularly important that the check valve means 88 and 94 be disposed substantially entirely within the main body 32 and within the neck 22 of the container 1050 as to be entirely above the surface of the liquid to be dispensed. In addition, the enlarged head end of the screw 38, and the engagrnent of the free end of the resilient sleeve 94 against the annular shoulder defined by the screw 83 intermediate its head and its shank, serves to effect a lateral direction of the incoming gas flow. In this way, the liquid within the container 10, particularly in the case of beer or the like, will not be disturbed by a high velocity incoming gas flow, thus avoiding the risk of foaming.

A flexible syphon tube 104), preferably of suitable plastic material, reaches at its lower end to the container bottom, and is attached at its upper end to a shank 102 in a gas tight manner to prevent gas above the surface of liquid within the conainer from seeping therebetween and cause foaming of the liquid being dispensed. The tube 1% has a weighted lower end 104 which remains at all times closely adjacent the container bottom wall within the annular pocket formed between portions 14 and 16 thereof, so as to permit substantially complete emptying of liquid from the container. A sleeve 105 of suitable deformable plastic material, such as polyethlene or the i like provides a fluid tight coupling between the syphon free face end in flow communication with the chamber I 54a.- The free end of the adjustable stop 74 is provided with suitable transverse slots 80 to avoid obstruction of flow through thepassage 78 when the piston 58 is in seated engagement against the stop 74, as in the position shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawing. A sealing plug 82 insures tamperproof assembly of the parts with the adjustable stop 74 in a predetermined selected position.

When the valve members 52 and 66 are in open relation, gas will pass forwardly from the bulb through the piercing pin to the space between the stem 62 and the collar 56 intermediate the valve seat 52 and the sealing ring 64. Gas will flow. through the cross-bore 76 and longitudinal bore 78 to the pressure regulator outlet chamber 54a. The spring 68 exerts a biasing force which will effect opening of the valve elements 52 and 66 when the pressure in the chamber 54:: falls below the constant pressure desired within 'the container 10 for dispensing operation. The damping spring 72 serves to prevent bouncing of the piston stem 62 and its valve disc 66 when the bulb 4t is initially pierced and before the pressure within the container 16 reaches the desired regulated .or operating. pressure. The adjustable stop 74 permits the various parts to be arranged for the predetermined operating pressure desired. The space or gap between the free end of the stop 74 and the free end of the piston 58 provides the means for pressure control by limiting the opening of the valve disc 66.

A gas inlet duct 84 communicates at its one end with the chamber 54a and provides at its other end a threaded bore 86 in which a check valve screw 88 is received.

tube 160 and the shank 102. The shank 102 defines a vertically upwardly extending flow passage 103 having an outwardly downwardly inclined portion 199 which communicates at its outermost end with an enlarged fiow chamber 11%). A faucet body 112 provides a sharply downwardly inclined discharge spout 114 communicating at its inner end with the chamber 110. A fully rounded valve seat 116 is internally defined by the faucet body. 112 at the outlet end of the chamber 110.

A self-closing push button type of control valve is provided for regulating flow of liquid from the container 10 through the spout 114. The control valve comprises a stem 118 and a valve head 120 of rubber or synthetic resinous material, which is slidably reciprocable within the faucet body 112 and is adapted to seal against the rounded valve seat 116. A push button 122 having packing means 124 and biasing spring 126 enables manual flow-opening movement of the valve head 120 away from the valve seat 116 for discharge flow through the faucet body 112. The push button 122 is recessed within the faucet body 112 to avoid the risk of accidental valve opening, and a pair of external finger grips and 127 are provided to'facilitate manual actuation.

It is a highly important feature of the present invention that a rod 128 of particular form and function is disposed at the lowermost or inlet end of the syphon tube 199 and within the flow passage defined thereby, as best seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. The rod 128 is suitably slotted at the inlet end of the syphon tube 100 to permit dispensing flow upwardly into the tube 100 through the annular conduit space defined between the outer surface of the rod 128 and the inner surface of the tube 100. The function of the rod 128 is to impart a spiral flow pattern to the liquid as it moves upwardly through the tube 100. r In the specific structure illustrated in FIGURE 3, a spiral wire element 130 surrounds the rod 128, and the rod is formed with a slight upward taper. In this Way, the liquid will be forced to move through a tortuous or spiral path. It will be understood that a variety of structural equivalents may be utilized to achieve this same function, and it is contemplated the use of such embodiments as a one-piece rod having an external spiral groove or land cut therein and disposed in closely adjacent or contacting relation to the inner wall surfaces of the tube 100. It will also be understood that the spiral flow imparting means may also be disposed at a point upwardly within the tube 100, rather than at the inlet end as shown. It is important, however, that such means be readily removable to facilitate cleaning and replacement.

Safety valve means are provided in the event that damage to the pressure regulator structure should prevent its proper functioning and risk excessive pressurization of the container 10. As best seen in FIGURE 5, a passageway 132 communicates with the interior of the container and with a vent chamber 134. A valve seat 136 is defined intermediate the passage 132 and chamber 134. A valve block 138 carries an O-ring 140 adapted to eifect sealing engagement with the seat 136. A retaining screw 142, having a vent opening 143, provides support means for biasing spring 144 which operates to shift the block 138 toward a position of seating engagement of the O-ring 140 on the valve seat 136. The particular biasing strength of the spring 144 will serve to maintain sealing closure of the safety valve until a predetermined dangerous pressure has been reached, at which point safety relief flow will be enabled by valve unseating.

In the practical operation of the structure disclosed herein, various major problems which characterize the handling of such readily foamable liquid as beer and the like are efiectively eliminated or minimized. When the dispenser assembly 30 has been secured to a fresh container 10 of beer to be dispensed, the bulb 40 will be manually energized by movement into its piercing position within the pressure regulator device. At this point, a sudden high pressure surge of gas, at about 800 p.s.i., will move toward the container interior. Although pressure regulators have been known in the past for use in dispenser-container combinations, such devices have not provided a sufiicient and economic means for avoiding pressure overrun when the gas supply bulb is pierced. The provision of a reciprocable piston member having an adjustable stop means and a damping spring effectively solves this problem in a simple and reliable manner. The initial sharp forward movement of the valve means effects a shifting of the piston 58 which is in turn damped by the spring 72 and controlled in extent by the adjustable stop '74- to achieve an optimum piston action for the desired operating pressures.

Prior known structures have been subject to a back flow of liquid from the container interior upwardly through the pressurizing passageways into the pressure regulator valve structure. In order to solve this problem, a novel check valve has been provided which permits gas to flow into the container at the required pressurizing level, but which prevents any reverse flow. In particular, the novel screw and sleeve structure 88-94 has been utilized for accomplishing this objective.

inordinate foaming is a very serious problem in any dispensing structures to be used with such liquids as beer. It was discovered that it is a critical and essential requirement that the pressure at the discharge faucet be lower than the pressure within the container itself. The novel use of spiral flow imparting means within the syphon tube 1% serves to achieve this necessary pressure reduction between the container interior and the faucet spout.

A further requirement for a dispenser of the type disclosed, wherein a liquid which is subject to spoilage is to be stored and dispensed, is to prevent pockets of the liquid from being trapped and permitted to lie stagnant in the dispenser structure. This problem is particularly present within the discharge head or faucet spout. It is particularly important, therefore, that the entire faucet head 112 be disposed at a slightly downwardly inclined angle relative to the horizontal, and that all flow passages downstream of the dispensing valve means 116-120 be abruptly slanted so that no fluid will be retained outwardly of the valve seat where it would risk becoming sour. For this purpose the inclined passages 109 and 114 are provided.

The structure of the present invention provides a readily attached and detached dispenser device capable of providing eflicient and uniform dispensing of beer and other ebullient liquids and of permitting their refrigerated storage over a substantial time for periodic dispensing. While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimedas new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A dispensing device comprising a gas-pressurized, closed container having an ebullient liquid therein, valve means operative to control dispensing flow therethrough for discharge of liquid from said container, and an eduction tube communicating said valve means with the interior of said container, said eduction tube having tortuous flow path-defining means therein adjacent the inlet end' and the size of said tortuous flow path gradually increasing in a downstream direction, whereby liquid flow upwardly through said eduction tube for discharge from said valve means is directed in a generally spiral path, said eduction tube being operative to reduce the discharge pressure of said liquid from said valve means and to minimize the inherent tendency of said liquid to foam during discharge flow.

2. An improved dispenser for use with a container for ebullient liquid that utilizes pressurized gas for effecting pressurized flow of the liquid upwardly through an eduction tube that extends downwardly into the ebullient liquid in the container; said dispenser comprising, in combination: an elongated eduction tube having one end thereof immersed into the ebullient liquid, the other end being exposed to atmosphere, a valve in said eduction tube and closer to said other end of said eduction tube to control discharge of the liquid from said other end, and tortuous flow path defining means within the eduction tube and between said one end thereof and said valve for reducing the pressure between the ends of the eduction tube by causing the ebullient liquid passing therethrough to move through said eduction tube in a generally spiral path and, so as to reduce the inherent tendency of the liquid to foam as it discharges from the dispenser, the size of said flow path gradually increasing in a downstream direction.

3. An improved dispenser for use with a container for ebullient liquid that utilizes pressurized gas for effecting pressurized flow of the liquid upwardly through an educ tion tube that extends downwardly into the ebullient liquid in the container; said dispenser comprising, in combination: an elongated eduction tube having the inlet end thereof immersed into the ebullient liquid, pressure reduction means in the eduction tube adjacent said inlet end for reducing the inherent tendency of the liquid to foam as it discharges from the dispenser, a dispensing tube communicating with the other end of said eduction tube and having a downwardly inclined portion terminating in a downwardly inclined spout, and valve means in said downwardly inclined portion of the dispensing tube for selectively controlling flow of the ebullient liquid from the dispenser.

4. An improved dispenser for use with a container for '7 ebullient liquid that utilizes pressurized gas for effecting pressurized flow of the liquid upwardly through an eduction tube that extends downwardly into the ebullient liquid in the container; said dispenser comprising, incombination: an elongated eduction tube having the inlet end thereof immersed into the ebullient liquid, a dispensing tube communicating with the other end of said eduction tube and having a downwardly inclined portion terminating in a downwardly inclined spout, valve means in said downwardly inclined portion of the dispensing tube for selectively controlling flow of the ebullient liquid from the dispenser, and tortuous flow path-defining means within the eduction tube and adjacent the inlet end for causing the ebullient liquid passing therethrough to move through said eduction tube in a generally spiral path, so as to reduce the inherent tendency of the liquid to foam as it discharges from the dispenser.

5. An improved dispenser for'use with a container for I ebullient liquid that utilizes gas from a source of very high gas pressure for efiecting pressurized flow of the liquid upwardly through an eduction tube that extends downwardly into the ebullient liquid in the container; said dispenser comprising, in, combination: an elongated eduction tube having the inlet end thereof immersed into the ebullient liquid, and pressure regulator means between the source of very high gas pressure and the interior of the container in which the ebullient liquid is stored for smoothly delivering additional pressurizing gas into said container simultaneously as ebullient liquid is selectively dispensed therefrom, to maintain substantially constant gas pressure in the container and for preventing any sharp increases in container gas pressure derived from the source of very high gas pressure, whereby to prevent agitation of the ebullient liquid, and said pressure regulator means providing an intermediate pressure chamber means, in the gas flow path between said source of very high gas pressure and the container with substantially constant gas pressure therein, for absorbing therein any sharp pressure surges from the source of very high gas pressure, gas flow resistance means between said source of very high pressure and said intermediate pressure chamber for reducing the pressure of gas within said intermediate pressure chamber, means responsive to a fall in pressure in said intermediate pressure chamber for admitting additional gas from the source of very high pressure into said intermediate pressure chamber, and a normally closed pressure-diiterential responsive means between said intermediate pressure chamber and said container for admitting additional pressurizing gas under the reduced pressure of said intermediate pressure chamber into said container as ebullient liquid is drawn from said container.

ReferencesCitezl by the Examiner UNIT ED. STATES PATENTS 762,274 6/04 Bourseau 137505.25 1,406,012 2/22 Hinchman 137-505 1,740,471 12/29 McBride 239-344 1,899,698 2/33 Klein 239--344 2,388,026 10/45 Ward 222-399 2,426,639 9/47 OLeary 137-50525 2,553,040 5/51 Greene 239-373 2,660,343 11/53 Charpiat 222--399 $2,762,653 9/56 Sinclair 137-525 2,794,452 6/57 Quam 239-373 2,833,594 5/58 Palm 239--354 2,842,293 7/58 Knapp 222-567 2,873,051 2/59 Hamburg et al. 222399 3,039,661 6/62 Wentz et al. 222399 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

EVERETT W. KIRBY, Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING A GAS-PRESSURIZED, CLOSED CONTAINER HAVING AN EBULLIENT LIQUID THEREIN, VALVE MEANS OPERATIVE TO CONTROL DISPENSING FLOW THERETHROUGH FOR DISCHARGE OF LIQUID FROM SAID CONTAINER, AND AN EDUCTION TUBE COMMUNICATING SAID VALVE MEANS WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID EDUCATION TUBE HAVING TORTUOUS FLOW PATH-DEFINING MEANS THEREIN ADJACENT THE INLET END AND THE SIZE OF SAID TORTUOUS FLOW PATH GRADUALLY INCRASING IN A DOWNSTREAM DIRECTION, WHEREBY LIQUID FLOW 